Tom Hindes - Whittling in Your Free Time: 16 Quick & Easy Projects to Carve in Wood

Dedication
This book is dedicated to those who have always wanted to carve but are just starting out. Now is the time, now is the place to beginand I am thrilled to be carving along with you as you do.

Layout Designer and Hand Model: Chris Morrison
Editors: Danielle Schagrin and Kaylee Schofield
Cover Photography: Mike Mihalo
Step-by-Step Photography: Carlyn Hindes Zelko

2020 by Tom Hindes and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

Whittling in Your Free Time is an original work, first published in 2020 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. The patterns contained herein are copyrighted by the author. Readers may make copies of these patterns for personal use. The patterns themselves, however, are not to be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.

For a printable PDF of the patterns used in this book, please contact Fox Chapel Publishing at , quoting the ISBN and title of this book, as well as the pattern or patterns required.

Print ISBN 978-1-4971-0070-1

eISBN 978-1-6076-5771-2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020930923

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First printing

Because working with wood and other materials inherently includes the risk of injury and damage, this book cannot guarantee that creating the projects in this book is safe for everyone. For this reason, this book is sold without warranties or guarantees of any kind, expressed or implied, and the publisher and the author disclaim any liability for any injuries, losses, or damages caused in any way by the content of this book or the readers use of the tools needed to complete the projects presented here. The publisher and the author urge all readers to thoroughly review each project and to understand the use of all tools before beginning any project.

Basics:
Sampler

Exercise 1:
Carving With and Against the Grain

Exercise 2:
Carving Up and Downhill

This book is an introduction to whittling, or carving wood with a knife. I whittle in a simplified flat-plane style, in which I establish the shape of a piece with angular facets; you wont find many rounded edges in this book! Using four basic knife cuts, Ill show you how to whittle a menagerie of animals, from the proud lion to the adorable Scottie dog.

Along with the aesthetic appeal, I whittle in the flat-plane style because it doesnt take much time. Every project in this book is portable and can be completed in under 20 minutes! Even those with a busy schedule can take a few moments out of their day to carve one of my animals.

Whether you are a beginner or more experienced wood carver, I encourage you to check out the Getting Started section, as well as the Appendix in the back. These two sections cover everything from whittling safety to picking the right knife. Once you know the basics, move on to the exercises. They will help you warm up and get comfortable with the knife before you get started on the projects.

I define whittling as carving wood with just a knife; whittlers dont use chisels, gouges, or power tools. When some people think of whittling, specific projects come to mind: pointed sticks, wood chains, and a ball-in-cage. But when I think of whittling, I think of any carving that involves only a knife.

Whittling doesnt require a large investment in tools or wood. All you need is a good knife, a good piece of wood, and a decent strop to keep your knife edge sharp. I give suggestions on knives and wood to use in the following sections () in the Appendix.

Whittling is a great hobby that you can take anywhere you go. While some pull out their cell phones when theyre in a waiting room, I work on my latest project! This is why most of the projects in this book are smallI like to choose pieces that can fit in my pocket. I also enjoy doing projects that can be completed quickly. This is what makes whittling fun for beginnersthey get immediate satisfaction and are anxious to keep on whittling more pieces.

My whittling often attracts attention from the people around me, especially children. Children are the best audience for whittling because they like small things and they dont need too much detail to figure out what the whittled animal is. However, even if everything you make is for children, your piece will need some distinguishing characteristics. For example, lions are known for their thick, bushy manes, which are easy for both children and adults to identify quickly. The projects in this book will show you what features to leave in and what to leave out when depicting an animal. Hopefully, it will inspire you to design your own whittled animals, too!

Flat-plane woodcarving is a Scandinavian folk art form that employs flat edge cuts rather than rounded edge cuts. Using one knife, the carver establishes a shape using very few cuts, letting the carved facets remain rather than sanding them smooth. Harley Refsal, a master at the flat-plane style, calls it the difficult art of simplification. Flat-plane carving often falls under the umbrella of whittling.

One of my favorite things about whittling is that you can do it anywhere. This means the knife you use should be easily transportable. I prefer a folding pocketknife; nothing beats the convenience of safely slipping a folded knife into your pocket. If you would rather use a regular carving knife, just make sure to sheath the blade properly before transporting. Many carvers use cork or a length of silicone rubber tubing for this purpose.